


Big Screen

by Dftba99



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2015-07-14
Packaged: 2018-04-09 07:12:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4338893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dftba99/pseuds/Dftba99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard isn't sure if he's on a date with jared or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big Screen

**Author's Note:**

> So I saw one of those lists of aus you always see on tumblr and one was like 'I can't tell if we're on a date or if we're just hanging out as bros so I'm toeing the line'. I had to write it lol

Richard is in gay purgatory. 

For months now, he and jared had been doing some kind of infuriating dance around their feelings for eachother. They'd been doing it since tech crunch, when jared hugged him and buried his face in Richard's chest and richard finally realized that Jared was everything he wanted in a guy and more. 

Well, at least that's when richard started. He still wasn't sure if jared was doing it at all. But then, jared would say something and richard would feel his face go red and he'd get butterflies in his stomach. But he was never really sure if jared meant them in a romantic sense. Sure, jared promised to support him, told richard that he believed in him, vowed to stay with Pied piper until the end. But those could just be things an overly sentimental bizz dev said to his CEO. It didn't necessarily mean anything. 

And that's why it's so frustrating. It's not so much that Jared is sending out mixed signals, he just sends out so many signals it's hard to keep up. And Richard has never been good with signals, picking them up or sending them out. So, richard is left awkwardly tiptoeing around his love for jared, praying that Jared is tiptoeing back. 

And his prayers might have been answered. 

".....we don't have to if you don't want to. I just thought, you know, it might be nice...." Richard was in a daze. Jared had asked him to see a movie with him. This was unbelievable. 

"No, I want to! That- that sounds fantastic, jared. I'm really looking forward to it," Richard said, smiling. 

Jared beamed at him. "Terrific! So, Saturday night?" 

Don't throw up. Don't throw up. Don't- "Sure! Great!" 

Richard felt like he was going to pass out, or fly away, or both. Apparently he wasn't as bad at sending out signals as he thought. This was it. Jared had finally asked him out. 

Hadn't he?

Now that he thought about it, jared had never said the word 'date'. Friends saw movies together all the time. Just last week, richard saw one with big head. That wasn't a date. What made this one different? What if jared had just meant they should hang out as friends? Richard started to panic. 

Unfortunately for richard, there was no un-awkward way to clarify this type of misunderstanding. He couldn't just text jared and say 'hey, so are we going out as two friends or as two gay guys because I'm not 100% about whether you're gay or not and even if you are I'm not sure if this is a date. See you tomorrow night!' He'd just have to feel it out.

Jared looked good. He always looked good. He smiled at richard and richard felt a little dizzy. 

The ride to the theater was filled with awkward silence. Richard had a million things he wanted to say, but he couldn't quite find a way to say any of them. He was grateful that they were going to a movie rather than say, dinner. At least this way their silence would be filled with dramatic music and explosions and they wouldn't be forced to talk.

They sat in the back of the theater so that Jared wouldn't have to feel guilty for being so tall. Richard's film  watching experience was definitely enhanced by having jared there. The two filled the trailers with whispers of 'no one would pay to see that' and 'I know her from something, what was she in?' Richard could feel the tension disapate and their natural chemistry taking its place. He just needed to relax. 

But it was almost impossible to relax when jared was making this so unclear. Jared was doing things. Little things that richard found overwhelmingly adorable. When something exciting happened, he'd look over the richard with a look of childlike wonder. He'd occasionally offer richard some raisinets from his box. Richard had planned to sneak in their own candy in his hoodie, but jared insisted on buying it in the theater. Always a stickler for the rules. 

But that didn't mean they were on a date, people share things. 

Then jared's arm was draped across the back of Richard's chair. Richard's heart was racing. Technically, it wasn't really around him, just on his chair, but that meant something, right? It was a good sign. Maybe this was more than two friends hanging out. 

Once, their hands brushed against each other on the armrest they shared. Jared flinched a little, but he didn't pull his hand away. 

Richard couldn't take it any more. He couldn't keep walking the fence, even if it meant falling off the fence and onto his ass. 

"Is this a date?" Richard asked softly. Jared turned to face richard, completely distracted from the movie. Even in the dark of the cinema, jared's eyes were sparkling. He looked unsure of himself.  
He hesitated before finally whispering.

"Do you want it to be?" 

How could someone so open be so guarded? 

"I, um-"

"Because honestly, I do. I hope that my saying so doesn't make you feel uncomfortable. But, I have a lot of...romantic feelings for you, richard. I have for quite some time," Jared looked away, embarrased. "I'm sorry if I've ruined anything between us. I understand if you want to leave." 

And Richard's heart is about to burst because he'd wanted to know for so long and now it felt like a weight had been lifted. Richard and jared had feelings for each other. The elephant had left the room. 

"Jared...." Richard whispered. Jared looked up at him. The only thing richard can think to do is cup his cheek and kiss him softly. 

Jared seemed a little surprised that he was being kissed. But once he got over the initial shock, he kissed back and richard thought he would melt. This was exactly what he'd wanted for such a long time and he honestly couldn't believe it was actually happening.

 He was pretty sure there was an important plot development happening onscreen, but he realized that he couldn't really remember what the movie was about anyway. 

When they finally parted, jared was grinning like richard had given him the world. Their fingers intertwined and they both pretended to care about what was going on for the remainder of the movie. 

The ride home was quiet, but the tortuous silence from before had been replaced with a comfortable feeling of not needing to talk.

When they found themselves outside the incubator door, jared leaned down and kissed richard again. Richard wrapped his arms around jared's neck. His mind went back to that moment on the tech crunch stage. The first time he realized he loved jared. He wondered when that moment was for jared about him. 

Jared's gentle hands roaming up Richard's back brought him back to earth. He had to remind himself that this was really happening. Jared Dunn really was kissing him. And he was kissing like they were in a damn romcom. His heart was fluttering like crazy. 

Jared pulled away eventually, and part of richard wanted to ask him to come in. To stay the night. But he knew they both needed to take things slow. Neither of them wanted to rush through it and mess up. Besides, there would be time for things to grow. It takes time. 

"We should do this again," Jared said with a breathtaking smile.

Richard laughs and he honestly can't  remember the last time he was this happy.

"Definitely."


End file.
